This week, in an unexpected turn of events, 54-year-old Peter Coker Jr, a citizen of the Caribbean island state of St Kitts and Nevis, was arrested in a hotel room near Surin beach in Thalang district of Phuketon Wednesday. This arrest was the culmination of a long-running investigation by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) into stock manipulation and colluding in fraud. The CIB, led by Pol Maj Gen Montri Khetkhan, were working with the FBI in this investigation. The suspect was wanted on an arrest warrant issued by the Criminal Court in the US on December 27, 2022, as he was on red and black notices issued by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol). This case related to the share manipulation of two companies, Hometown International and E-Waste Corp, which were traded on the OTC Link Alternative Trading System. The investigation has revealed that the accused were business partners…
Posts published by “Editorial Team”
Activists and academics are urging the Thai government to raise the monthly allowance for senior citizens from 600 to 1,000 baht to a universal pension of 3,000 baht. The current allowance is barely enough for seniors to survive with many finding supplementary income, said Nuken Inthachan, a representative from the Four Regions Slum Network, during an event organized by the Thailand Consumers Council and Thai PBS. Theepakorn Jithitikulchai from the Faculty of Economics at Thammasat University said the pension should be given universally, not just to the poor, or else those who are erroneously left out of the program will suffer. In order to fund this pension, he suggests that the government cease offering tax deductions to the top 20% wealthiest people, and instead start collecting from those left out of the tax database. Mr. Theepakorn believes that the 3,000 baht per person per month could even expand to 6,000…
On Monday, the first day a new system that deducts points from drivers’ driving records was implemented, police detained 540 motorists who had broken traffic laws. Every driver who obtains a license will receive 12 points at the beginning of the year, which they will gradually lose if they breach the law under the “demerit system.” A police spokeswoman, Pol Maj Gen Atchayon Kraithong, stated that 503 of the people who were fined on Monday only lost one point, while the others lost two points. He claimed that some people received the two-point penalty since it was discovered that they had broken many rules. According to the police, 233 of those detained did not have their tax stickers visible, proving they had not renewed their annual car tax. According to Pol Maj Gen Atchayon, 81 persons lost points for failing to display their license plates, while 63 were fined for…
Controversial former massage parlour tycoon Chuvit Kamolvisit has submitted clear evidence of Immigration Bureau (IB) officers helping Chinese nationals to run criminal enterprises in Thailand. On Thursday, deputy national police chief Pol Gen Surachate Hakparn said that some officers had even set up foundations with their headquarters in a chicken coop to arrange visas for Chinese nationals. Pol Gen Surachate reported that the investigative committee had found clear proof of offenses such as the renewal of visas through foundations, visa applications through schools, and falsification of signatures of a deputy governor. Some officers had allegedly used houses or the chicken coop as offices for the foundations set up for this purpose. In response to this evidence, the National Police Chief has ordered drastic action against all of the officers involved, who range from commanders to station heads to officers at the operational level. He expects to summon them to hear…
From June 1, Thailand will begin charging each foreign visitor 300 THB upon entry, subject to Cabinet approval. The funds gathered, according to Wednesday’s (Jan. 1) speech by Thailand’s Tourism Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, would be used to support the recovery of foreign travelers injured in accidents in Thailand as well as the development and upkeep of tourist attractions. According to Mr. Phiphat, 25 million foreign visitors are anticipated in Thailand in 2023. Foreign nationals having work permits and border crossings would not be charged any fees. Border passes are mostly utilized by those engaged in cross-border trade between Thailand and its neighbors, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, and Malaysia. The National Tourism Policy Committee (TTC), according to Mr. Phiphat, will talk about collecting the 300 baht fee on January 24. The idea will be presented to the Cabinet in February after the TTC meeting. Thailand will begin collecting the fee on June…
Visitors from around the world will soon have access to Covid-19 tests and vaccinations when arriving in Thailand. The Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced on Thursday that the government will be offering free Covid-19 tests to ill visitors and will provide vaccines to foreign tourists who request the service at “reasonable prices”. Dr Tares Krassanairawiwong, director-general of the Department of Disease Control (DDC), reported that the Covid-19 tests for ill visitors would be free. Health insurance is also required for travellers from China and India, with coverage of at least US$10,000 to cover their possible treatment if they test positive while in Thailand. Mr Anutin also said that Covid-19 vaccines for foreign tourists will be available on a voluntary basis at reasonable prices at specified locations. Initially, the vaccinations will be offered at Institute of Dermatology Thailand, Nopparat Rajathanee Hospital, Lerdsin Hospital, Rajavithi Hospital, Bangrak Medical Center, Bamrasnaradura Infectious…
According to the Department for the Development of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, Thai citizens wishing to purchase cannabis buds would soon need to provide their ID cards, with sales data being logged on a public database (DTAM). Director-general of the department Thongchai Lertwilairattanapong declared that he had signed the order, and that it would go into effect as soon as it was published in the Royal Gazette. It is unknown if foreigners who want to purchase cannabis buds will need to present identification, such as a passport. There is no mention of any requirement in the most recent health ministry pamphlet, “10 Things Tourists Need to Know about Cannabis in Thailand.” The restriction is the most recent in a slew of temporary rules put in place to respond to issues that have come up since marijuana was taken off the national drugs list in June of last year. Parliament…
Just days after announcing a new requirement that foreign travelers to Thailand must present proof of Covid vaccination, the country has backtracked and withdrawn the rule. The vaccine certificate requirement, which was set to take effect on Monday, was scrapped due to concerns that it would deter tourists. The change comes as Thailand prepares for a wave of tourist arrivals from China, which has recently reopened its borders to the world and eliminated the need for quarantine upon arrival. According to Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, the decision to waive the vaccine certificate requirement was made in order to avoid “inconvenience” to travelers, as most Thais and tourists from China and other countries have already been fully vaccinated and possess some immunity to the virus. Despite the chaos surrounding the vaccine rule, Thailand is still expecting to see 7 to 10 million Chinese travelers visit by air…
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect travel around the world, Thailand has recently made a significant change to its requirements for travelers entering the country. According to the latest Notice to Airmen (Notam), unvaccinated travelers are now allowed to enter Thailand, provided they are willing to undergo a COVID-19 test upon arrival. This marks a significant change from previous requirements, which prohibited unvaccinated travelers from entering the country altogether. Despite this change, there are still a number of requirements that travelers to Thailand must meet in order to enter the country. One of the main requirements is proof of vaccination or recovery from COVID-19. All passengers 18 years of age or older must provide evidence that they have received a full course of vaccination or that they have recovered from COVID-19 within the past 180 days (six months). Passengers who are unable to provide proof of vaccination must have…
Thailand has recently implemented new measures for passengers arriving in the country by air. These measures are in place to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect public health. If you are planning to travel to Thailand by air, it is important to familiarize yourself with these requirements to ensure that you are able to smoothly enter the country. As of January 9th, passengers 18 years, and above are required to present a vaccination certificate or a letter from a doctor indicating that they have recovered from COVID-19 within the past 6 months (180 days). The vaccination certificate should indicate that the passenger has received a full course of a vaccine that is approved by the Thai Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The letter from a doctor should indicate that the passenger has tested negative for COVID-19 within the past 6 months and has fully recovered from the illness.…